Kilifi, Kenya: Four Kenyan sailors are feared dead while two others narrowly escaped death after their vessel capsized on Sunday in the Indian Ocean in neighbouring Tanzania.
Reports indicate that the six sailors were ferrying assorted food stuffs from Nungwi in Unguja heading to Zanzibar when the incident occurred.
Speaking to the Press yesterday, the two who were rescued said they swam for five days without food and water before they were rescued by fishermen from Watamu.
Rough sea
One of the survivors, Khatib Kombo, said the boat capsized on Sunday at around noon after it was hit by strong tidal waves as they approached Kenya off Malindi.
Kombo said they were all tossed overboard due to the rough sea. He said each of the sailors grabbed an empty jerrican which they used as improvised floaters.
“With the jerrican’s help, we all attempted to swim to safety but the strong waves kept pushing us to the deep sea. It was only me and Fakih Abdala who survived. The rest were overwhelmed by the ccean,” he said.
Acting Malindi OCPD Charles Rotich said the rescue operation is still ongoing.
